Handling cylindrical and rectangular modules

ABSTRACT

In one embodiment, a system for removing a plastic wrap from a cylindrical module includes a conveyor transporting the cylindrical module toward a disperser with the cylindrical axis of the module parallel to the direction of conveyor movement. In another embodiment, the disperser is a travelling head disperser thereby providing relative movement between the modules and the disperser. The direction of the wrap around the module is determined and the cover is removed during rotation of the module, either by unwrapping the plastic or by slitting the plastic and then rotating the module. The equipment used to handle a cylindrical module is moved out of the path of movement of a conventional rectangular module so an installation can handle both rectangular and wrapped cylindrical modules.

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 11/350,314, filedFeb. 3, 2006.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for removing a wrappingor cover from cylindrical modules of fibrous materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Although this invention has potential application for handling othercylindrical bales of fibrous materials, it will mainly be described inconjunction with its most imminent and important application, which isthe handling of cylindrical cotton modules.

Handling of seed cotton from the time it is picked, or stripped, in thefield until it enters a cotton gin has evolved over the years. Fiftyyears ago, seed cotton was dumped into small trailers and hauled to thegin. This was supplanted by cotton module technology where cotton from apicker/stripper is delivered to a module builder on the edge of thefield. A large rectangular cotton module is made by alternately dumpingseed cotton into the builder and then packing the cotton. The module isdischarged from the module builder onto the ground and the top iscovered with a plastic tarpaulin or cover. Later, the module is pickedup by a special module retriever truck and hauled to the gin where it isstored, almost always outside, along with a large number of othermodules until the gin is ready to handle this particular module. Themodule is then picked up by the same or similar module truck and hauledto a module feeder. The plastic cover is removed and the module conveyedto a disperser where the module is disintegrated and the cotton fibersare delivered to the gin. Cotton module technology, expensive as it is,is considerably more efficient, all things considered, than haulingloose cotton in cotton trailers. Accordingly, cotton module technologycompletely replaced cotton trailers and has been the standard of theindustry for several decades.

Current cotton module technology has its problems. A major problem isthat module builders discharge the packed cotton module onto the ground.Even though the cotton is fairly tightly packed and attempts are made toposition the cotton modules on fairly high ground, there is always thepotential for water to collect around the base of the module and wick upinto the module, damaging a bottom layer of the cotton to an extentwhere it is not ginned. Six inches or a foot of damaged cotton on thebottom of a module will be seen to be a significant part of a module tenfeet high. In addition, the plastic covers on top of the module, whichare intended to shed water, are not perfect. The worst thing that canhappen is for the cover to have, or develop, a hole where rain entersand damages the seed cotton resulting in the loss of an entire module.Conventional rectangular cotton modules weigh in the range of 18,000 to26,000 pounds and contain 5,000-9,000 pounds of lint cotton so it iseasy to see the extent of potential losses.

Disclosures of interest are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,991,944;4,057,876; 4,592,698; 4,610,596; 4,929,141; 5,179,878; 5,228,628;5,318,399; 5,340,040; 5,371,938; 5,454,683; 6,202,950; 6,332,426 and6,481,653.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In response to these problems, it has been proposed to make cylindricalcotton modules, often called round modules, which are wrapped in plasticin such a manner that the plastic wrap covers the cylindrical sides ofthe module and part of the ends so water cannot enter the module to anextent sufficient to damage a significant part of the cotton. Thecurrent generation of cylindrical modules is about one quarter theweight of conventional rectangular modules. The problem addressed bythis invention is to completely remove the plastic wrap in an efficient,expeditious, reliable and inexpensive manner in a way that does notdisrupt or interfere with normal ginning operations. It is apparent thatother fibrous agricultural products may be similarly wrapped, such ascorn stover, kenaf, hemp and the like although the problems inunwrapping such modules are very different for reasons which will becomeapparent.

In one embodiment of this invention, cylindrical cotton modules that arewrapped with a cover are aligned and abutted on a conveyor with thecylindrical axis of the modules parallel to the direction of movement ofthe modules toward a disperser. A device picks up each module in turnand rotates the module to remove the cover either by unwrapping it, inthe alternative, slitting and then rotating the module to remove thecover. Because the conveyor continues to move in order to feed cottoninto the disperser, the rotating device also travels at the same rate sothat when plastic removal is complete, the unwrapped module isrepositioned on the conveyor in juxtaposed relation to an upstreammodule so there is normally no substantial gap between adjacent modulesas they enter the disperser. After the unwrapped module is placed backon the conveyor, the unwrapping device moves back toward the inlet endof the conveyor to pick up the next adjacent cylindrical module.

In one embodiment, a system provides for handling conventionalrectangular cotton modules and for handling wrapped cylindrical modules.This is accomplished by positioning the cylindrical module handlingequipment on a frame or gantry and moving the equipment laterally orupwardly out of the path of movement of the rectangular cotton modules.Thus, in this embodiment, the conveyor and disperser are used toselectively handle rectangular and cylindrical cotton modules.

There is a need for many alternatives and many components to produce aneffective system for removing a cover from seed cotton modules.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus forremoving covers from cylindrical agricultural modules.

Another object of this invention is to provide a technique for removinga cover from cylindrical seed cotton modules in an expeditious manner.

A more specific object of this invention to provide a method andapparatus for determining which direction a cover is wrapped around acylindrical agricultural module.

Another more specific object of this invention is to provide a methodand apparatus for dealing with a loose piece of plastic on the inside ofthe cylindrical module.

Another more specific object of this invention is to provide a techniquefor dealing with a loose plastic tail on the inside of the module.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will becomemore fully apparent as this description proceeds, reference being madeto the accompanying drawings and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a module feeder incorporating a coverremoval station;

FIG. 2 is a partial isometric view of a cylindrical cotton modulewrapped with a cover, illustrating that the cover may be wrapped in onedirection;

FIG. 3 is a partial isometric view of a cylindrical cotton modulewrapped with a cover, illustrating that the cover may be wrapped in anopposite direction;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a chain bed conveyor used to conveycylindrical cotton modules toward a disperser;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a chain used in the chain bed conveyor ofFIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a chain link used in the chain bedconveyor of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a pictorial view of a cotton module truck equipped with amodified chain bed type conveyor of this invention;

FIG. 8 is a top view of another type of a slat type conveyor usable withthis invention;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the slat conveyor of FIG. 8 as it goesaround an end sprocket;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the slat conveyor of FIG.8, illustrating the overlapping nature of the slats;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 illustrating a different shapedconveyor slat;

FIG. 12 is a view looking through the module feeder toward the dispersershowing the cylindrical cotton module handling equipment out of a pathof movement of a conventional rectangular cotton module, certain partsbeing broken away for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 12 showing the cylindrical cottonmodule handling equipment in an intermediate position between theretracted position of FIG. 12 and a position raising the cylindricalmodule off the underlying conveyor;

FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIGS. 12 and 13 showing the cylindricalcotton module handling equipment raising the cylindrical module off theunderlying conveyor;

FIG. 15 is a partial isometric view of a powered roller comprising apart of the cylindrical cotton module handling equipment of thisinvention;

FIG. 16 is a partial broken isometric view of the powered roller of FIG.15;

FIG. 17 is an isometric view of a system for slitting the cover and asystem for removing the cover from the module after it is slit;

FIG. 18 is a top view of the systems of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is an isometric view of one side of a slitter frame;

FIG. 20 is an isometric view of the opposite side of the slitter frameof FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is an isometric view of another embodiment of a cover puller ofthis invention;

FIG. 22 is an enlarged side elevational view of the cover puller of FIG.21, certain parts being broken away for clarity of illustration;

FIGS. 23-25 are end views of the device of FIGS. 21-22 illustratingretractable grippers;

FIG. 26 is an isometric view of another embodiment of a cover puller ofthis invention;

FIG. 27 is a top view of the cover puller of FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is an end view of the cover puller of FIGS. 26-27;

FIG. 29 is a broken isometric view of a drum of the cover puller ofFIGS. 26-28;

FIG. 30 is an isometric view of the cover puller of FIGS. 26-29 showinga cover being pulled therethrough;

FIG. 31 is a schematic view illustrating the relationship between themodule 12 and the cover puller of FIGS. 26-30;

FIG. 32 is an isometric view of a disperser and cover removal deviceshowing a pair of doors minimizing cotton leakage from a side of thedevice;

FIG. 33 is an enlarged isometric view of the doors of FIG. 32;

FIG. 34 is a view looking into the open mouth of the disperser housingillustrating the position of the doors of FIGS. 32-33;

FIG. 35 is a side view of the module feeder showing the cylindricalcotton handling equipment in the process of being lowered toward acylindrical cotton module;

FIG. 36 is a side view of the module feeder in the course of picking upa cylindrical cotton module;

FIG. 37 is a side view of the module feeder in the operative position ofFIG. 14, showing the cylindrical cotton handling equipment in a positionraising the cylindrical module off the underlying conveyor;

FIG. 38 is a side view of the module feeder at a location where it isplacing the unwrapped cylindrical module back onto the conveyor;

FIG. 39 is a schematic view, similar to FIG. 31, illustrating theoperation of a different embodiment of a cover puller of this invention;

FIG. 40 is a broken isometric view of the cover puller shownschematically in FIG. 39 showing an upper belt;

FIG. 41 is another broken isometric view of the cover puller shown inFIGS. 39-40 showing a lower belt;

FIG. 42 is an enlarged broken isometric view of the upper belt drumsshowing a beater assembly between the drums; and

FIG. 43 is an isometric view, similar to FIG. 1, of the application ofthis invention to a travelling head disperser.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a module feeder 10 of a typethat is capable of handling cylindrical seed cotton modules 12 that arewrapped with a cover or wrapping 14 that is sufficient to shed water.The current cover proposed for use in wrapping seed cotton modules is anorganic polymer, or plastic, but it will be understood that thisinvention is usable with any suitable material that is effective to shedwater and it is desired to keep the wrapping material out of the ginnedcotton. The current version of the plastic cover is wrapped a pluralityof times around the seed cotton and relies on stretch film technologyand an adhesive to secure adjacent wraps of the plastic to each other.It will be understood that other suitable techniques for adhering thecover to itself will be apparent to those skilled in the art, such ashigh or low temperature shrink wrapping techniques, heat sealingtechniques, twine, or combinations thereof, and the like. As usedherein, the word adhere or adhered is used to describe any suitabletechnique for securing adjacent wraps of the cover to itself.

The module feeder 10 comprises, as major components, a conveyor 16 fordelivering the cotton modules 12 toward a disperser 18 where the modules12 are disintegrated and a device 20 upstream of the disperser forremoving the wrapping 14.

An overriding problem with plastic wrapped cotton modules 12 is that theplastic must be completely removed and not allowed to enter the ginwhere cotton fibers are separated from cotton seed. The reason is thatcotton is used to manufacture threads, yarns and ultimately textiles andthe presence of plastic in the ginned cotton is completely unacceptableto textile manufacturers because it will ruin large batches of producedyarn and/or textiles, mainly because it will not take dyes and othertextile treatments.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, one of the peculiarities of currentgeneration of plastic wrap 14 is that most of it is adhered oradhesively secured to the underlying or overlying material except for atail 22 on the inside of the wrapping 14 which is not adhered to theoverlying wrap. Current module builders leave about six feet ofunadhered tail 22 in a module of nominal eight foot diameter. The tail22 is unadhered because of the nature of the device that wraps theplastic 14 around the seed cotton. The presence of the tail 22 creates aset of problems in removing the plastic wrapping 14 because the wrapping14 cannot simply be slit because there is a danger that part of the tail22 will be severed from the balance of the plastic wrapping 14 and thesevered tail 22 will enter the gin, get ground up in some manner andthereby become intermingled with cotton fibers making the ginned cottonfibers unsalable or, worse, getting into a textile operation, ruining alarge batch of textiles and creating havoc backwards through the supplychain. It is not a simple matter to adhere the tail 22 to the remainderof the plastic wrapping 14 because of inherent situations in the modulebuilder which cannot readily be cured, at least at the present. Althoughnot shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cover 14 overlaps the ends of the module12 so that water cannot wick up into the seed cotton when the module 12is laying on its side. This degree of overlap is currently on the orderof six inches to one foot.

One peculiarity in the operation of cotton gins is that it is verydesirable to provide a consistent flow of cotton to the gin stands inorder to promote high sustained rates of cotton going through the gin.Although cotton gins have some surge capacity, it is quite limited andthere is no assurance that the surge capacity will be full when there isa reduction in cotton flow from the module feeder toward the gin standscaused by the module feeder. For this reason, it is very desirable topresent a more-or-less constant cross-section of cotton to the disperser18. This leads to the decision to align the cylindrical modules 12 sothe cylindrical axis 24 is aligned, or parallel to, the direction ofmovement 26 of the conveyor 16 as opposed to the situation where theaxis 24 is perpendicular to the direction of movement 26 and the module12 is simply rolled toward the disperser 18. This seems counterintuitivebecause the natural inclination is to place the cylindrical modules 12so they can be rolled toward the disperser 18. The problem is that thevertical cross-section of the modules 12 being presented to thedisperser 18, in this situation, varies significantly from the edge ofthe cylinder to its maximum height. By placing the modules 12 with thecylindrical axis 24 aimed toward the disperser 18, the verticalcross-section of the modules 12 is more consistent, leading to moreconsistent flow of cotton from the disperser 18.

Another peculiarity in the operation of cotton gins is that eachfarmer's cotton is ginned separately. In other words, the business modelof cotton gins is to act as a service to farmers in contrast to asituation where the gin buys seed cotton modules, mixes cotton fromvarious farmers and then sells ginned cotton bales. In order to promotehigh sustained rates of cotton through the gin, the gin attempts tohandle a substantial part of the cotton from a single farmer at onetime, i.e. handle multiple cotton modules from the same farmer. In orderto promote high sustained cotton flow through the gin, the flow ofcotton from the module feeder should be as consistent as possible,meaning that the seed cotton modules should be close to each other asthey enter the disperser. This problem is ameliorated somewhat by thenature of most dispersers in that the disperser drums are inclined to avertical plane so the highest disperser drum is closer to the module.This assures that cotton is being taken off both an old module and a newone, even though they are spaced slightly apart. As used herein, thephrase that the modules are juxtaposed or substantially abutted meansthere is no substantial change in the rate of cotton feed at thejunction of two modules as they move into contact with the disperserdrums. Desirably, the only substantial gaps between adjacent modules 12occur when one farmer's cotton is finished and another is starting. Thisleads to the desirability of removing the plastic wrap 14 in such amanner that an unwrapped module is juxtaposed to an upstream module sothat there is very little change in the rate of cotton flow away fromthe disperser 18 as one cylindrical module 12 is disintegrated and thenext one is started.

A problem with picking up and rotating the cotton modules 12 is inpositioning the pickup device so it picks up the module with no overlap,i.e. no attempt is made to pick up the front end of one module and theback end of an adjacent module. One of the characteristics ofcylindrical modules is that they are the same length, i.e. from end toend, but vary considerably in diameter depending on how much cotton isdelivered into the wrapping device. This allows the pickup and rotatingdevice to be made slightly shorter than the length of the modules 12 andallows the difference in diameter to be used as a technique fordistinguishing between one module and an adjacent module. In thealternative, a device is provided to sense the gap between adjacentmodules in order to determine where one module starts and another ends.This gap is capable of being detected even though the cylindricalmodules are placed as close together as can be accomplished, as will bepointed out more fully hereinafter.

Another problem in handling plastic wrapped cylindrical cotton modules12 is that the handling or conveying equipment cannot tear the plasticto any substantial extent. The reason is that small pieces of plastic,from the tear, tend to separate from the major part of the plastic wrap,enter the gin and become intermingled with ginned cotton. It willaccordingly be seen that many types of conveying equipment commonly usedin handling conventional rectangular cotton modules are unacceptablewhen handling plastic wrapped cotton modules.

An important feature of this invention is to provide a module feederthat will accommodate both conventional rectangular cotton modules andplastic wrapped cylindrical modules. FIG. 1 shows such a device and,although the conveyor 16 must be modified or of a particular type, thedisperser 18 is conventional and the conveyor 16 may be conventional,meaning that the only new equipment in the module feeder 10 is thedevice 20 for removing the plastic wrapping. Thus, a conventional cottonmodule feeder may be equipped with the device 20 and, after modifyingthe conveyor 16 to prevent tearing of the plastic, handle bothconventional rectangular modules and plastic wrapped cylindricalmodules.

Another peculiarity of plastic wrapped cylindrical cotton modules isthat the direction of the wrapping will vary. Some of the modules 12will be placed on the conveyor 16 so that the wrap is in one direction,suggested in FIG. 2, and other modules 12 will be placed on the conveyor16 so that the wrap is in the other direction, suggested in FIG. 3.Because of the unadhered tail 22 or because it is decided to unwrap theplastic 14, it is often desirable to be able to accommodate cylindricalplastic wrapped cotton modules where the wrap is in either direction.This may be accomplished before the module 12 is placed on the conveyor16 by orienting the modules 12 in a given direction. It is preferred,however, to design the device 20 to handle modules with the plasticwrapped in either direction.

Given the requirements not to disrupt normal ginning operations and notintroduce plastic into the gin, it will be apparent that manyconstraints are imposed on the design of equipment to remove plasticwrapping from cotton modules. Another constraint for cylindrical cottonmodule handling equipment before it becomes the exclusive mode of cottonhandling between the field and the gin is the ability to handleconventional rectangular modules as well as cylindrical plastic wrappedmodules.

Referring to FIGS. 1-10, the conveyor 16 is desirably made in severalsegments including a long approach conveyor 16′, a short conveyor 16″and a conveyor 16′″ under the plastic removing device 20. The problemsare slightly different because the modules 12 have the plastic wrap 14on them while on the conveyors 16′, 16″ but the plastic is off when themodule is on the conveyor 16′″, as will be more fully apparenthereinafter.

The conveyors 16′, 16″ may be of many suitable types consistent with therequirement not to tear the plastic wrap 14. Although many differenttype conveyors are suitable, it is currently preferred to use acontinuous moving floor conveyor, a roller bed conveyor, a slat typeconveyor where the slats are perpendicular to the direction of movement26 or a chain bed type conveyor where the pusher elements are modifiedto prevent tearing of the plastic wrap 14. A chain bed type conveyor isgenerally not suitable for use as the conveyor 16′″ because the chainswill simply cut a groove in the cotton without moving the unwrappedmodule so the conveyors 16′″ will typically be a roller bed conveyor, aslat type conveyor or a moving floor.

Referring to FIGS. 4-6, there is illustrated a modified chain bed typeconveyor 28 having a series of chains 30 driven in the same direction atthe same rate. The chains 30 include conventional chain links 32 joinedtogether by conventional chain pins 34 and an occasional pusher link 36designed not to tear the plastic wrap 14. The pusher links 36accordingly comprise a body 38 having openings 40 receiving adjacentchain pins 34. The body 38 includes a top edge 42 parallel to the chain30 and a leading edge 44, both above the plane 46 of the chain 30, i.e.above the plane of the conventional chain links 32. The top edge 42 andthe leading edge 44 define therebetween an obtuse angle 48, of about130° to about 160°. The leading edge 44 defines, with the plane 46, anacute angle 50 of about 20° to about 50° facing toward the top edge 42.Preferably, the pusher link 36 also includes a trailing edge 52 definingan obtuse angle 54 with the top edge and an acute angle 56 with theplane 46, the acute angle 56 also facing toward the top edge 42. Theobtuse and acute angles 54, 56 are of similar sizes to the angles 48,50.

In normal operation of the module feeder 10, only the leading edge 44 ofthe pusher link 36 engages the cylindrical modules 12 and wouldtherefore be prone to tearing the plastic wrap 14 so it might appearthat making the trailing edge 52 of similar configuration would bewasted effort. In fact, the conveyor 16 is occasionally run in reverseto move the modules 12 away from the disperser 18 in order to correctsome problem, so it is desirable, even in module feeders, to provideboth leading and trailing edges 44, 52 that are not prone to tear theplastic wrap 14. In addition, it is desirable to convert a conventionalmodule truck 58, see FIG. 7, with a chain bed conveyor 60 to handlecylindrical cotton modules 12 which can be done by replacingconventional pusher links with the pusher links 36. An important featureof the pusher links 36 is that they are capable of handling bothconventional rectangular cotton modules, which have a packed cottonbottom abutting the chain 30, and a plastic wrapped cylindrical cottonmodule 12 having a plastic bottom. If will be evident, of course, thatthe module trucks 58 have the capability of moving cylindrical modules12 on and off the truck 58 without tearing the plastic wrapping 14.

Referring to FIGS. 8-10, there is illustrated a slat type conveyor 62for conveying plastic wrapped cotton modules 12. The conveyor 62comprises a plurality of rows of slats 64 mounted on a chain (not shown)and wrapped around sprockets or wheels 66, one of which is preferablydriven. An important characteristic of the slat conveyor 62 is that theedges close up, or abut, in the run between the end wheels 66 but openup, as shown in FIG. 9, as the slats 64 go around the wheels 66. Thisprevents substantial amounts of cotton from falling through the slats 64and collecting on shafts, bearings, platforms and the like below theplane of the slats 64 in the run between the end wheels 66.Unfortunately, there is a tendency for cotton to get trapped at theinlet end of the conveyor 62 because the gaps between the slats 64 openup around the inlet wheel. To avoid this problem, a shield 68 is placedover the inlet end wheel 66 as shown in the lower right of FIG. 8 overthat portion of the wheel 66 that would contact loose cotton and wherethe slats 62 have opened up. and yet allows any trapped cotton to bereleased as the slats 64

As shown in FIG. 10, one embodiment of the slat 64 provides one end,preferably a front end, with a tapered section 70 that overlies or abutsa curvilinear or bulbous rear end 72 in a more-or-less sealing fashion.As shown in FIG. 12, another embodiment of a slat 74 includes taperedends 76 that overlie or abut adjacent slats in a more-or-less sealingfashion.

The disperser 18 may be of any suitable type and is illustrated as aconventional disperser having a hood or housing 78 opening toward theconveyor 16″ and providing a series of disperser drums 80 fordisintegrating the unwrapped cylindrical cotton module or a conventionalrectangular cotton module in a more-or-less conventional manner.Dispersers are commercially available, such as from Stover EquipmentCompany, Corpus Christi, Tex. As mentioned previously and as shown inFIGS. 1, 35-38, the disperser drums 80 incline forwardly toward themodules 12 and inherently have the capability of removing cotton from atrailing module and a forward module as the forward module is nearlygone. Thus, the modules 12 do not have to abut, but they do have to beclose. The goal is to provide substantially constant cotton flow to thegin. In a way, this can be quantified because, if the modules 12 arefurther apart than about one foot, cotton flow to the gin is noticeablyreduced.

Referring to FIGS. 12-19 and 35-38, the plastic wrap removing device 20is illustrated in various stages of operation. As discussed previously,an important feature of this invention is to provide a module feederthat will accommodate both conventional rectangular modules and plasticwrapped cylindrical modules. FIG. 12 shows that the operative componentsof the plastic removing device 20 are movable to a position outside apath of movement 82 of a conventional rectangular cotton module so aconventional rectangular module can pass unhindered through the device20 into the disperser 18.

The plastic removing device 20 includes a number of components orsubsystems including a frame or gantry 84, the conveyor 16′″ receivingmodules 12 from the conveyor 16, a mechanism 86 suspended from the frame84 for raising the module 12 off of the conveyor 16′″ so an operationmay be conducted on the module 12, a system 88 for rotating the module12, a system for determining the direction of rotation of the wrapping14, a cover puller 90 for removing the plastic wrap 14, a system fordiscriminating between one module 12 and a following or downstreammodule, and a suitable mechanism 92 (FIG. 1) for moving the frame 84 inthe same direction and at the same speed as the conveyor 16′″, such asone or more hydraulic cylinders or any other suitable mechanism.

The frame or gantry 84 may be of any suitable type and includes suitablecolumns 94 supporting a pair of beams 96 spanning the path of movement82. Wheels 98 on the columns 94 cooperate with a pair of tracks 100allowing the gantry 84 to move toward and away from the disperser 18 asthe situation requires.

The mechanism 86 for raising the modules 12 includes a pair of curvedarms 102, 104 arranged to move under the module 12 as shown in FIGS.12-14. The arm 104 is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis 106. Ifthe gantry 84 can be made high enough, i.e. there is sufficient room inthe gin where the plastic removing device 20 is being installed, thepivot axis 106 and the arm 102 simply rotate about the axis 106. If thegin has height limitations and the gantry 84 must be considerably lower,the axis 106 may be movable as shown best by a comparison of FIG. 12with FIGS. 13-14 where, for purposes of convenience, the mounting of theright arm 104 is shown, it being understood that the mounting of theleft arm 102 is a mirror image. Also for clarity of illustration, onlythe lower part of the arm 102 is shown in FIGS. 12-14. A hydrauliccylinder 108 works on an angled extension 110 of the arm 102 and therebypivots the arm 102 about the axis 106. The pivot axis 106 is provided bya bearing mounted on a strut 112 fixed to a bracket or sleeve 114slidable on the beam 96 as propelled by a hydraulic cylinder 116. Itwill accordingly be seen that the pivot axis 106 is movable fromside-to-side while the arm 104 is pivoted about the axis 106 to providethe clamshell type action shown in FIGS. 12-14. The cylinders 108, 116are synchronized to lower and close the arms 102, 104 about the module12 and to raise and move the arms 102, 104 to a stowed position underthe gantry 84.

Synchronization of the arms 102, 104 may be accomplished either by theuse of suitable sensors detecting the position of the output rods of thecylinders 108, 116 at suitable times or by the use of rephasingcylinders. It is preferred to use sensors such as commercially availableunder the name Tempasonics as are available from Power Systems ofFlorida of Titusville, Fla.

An important feature of this invention is maintaining the modules 12more-or-less juxtaposed as they enter the disperser 18 in order toprovide more consistent cotton flow out of the disperser 10. An initialstep is to abut the modules 12 at the inlet end of the conveyor 16′, andmaking the upstream conveyors 16″ capable of running faster than theconveyor 16′. Similarly, any remaining gap between adjacent modules 12is closed up by running the conveyor 16″ faster than the conveyor 16′″.Suitable sensors 120 (FIG. 1) are provided at the junction of theconveyors 16′, 16″ and 16′″ to determine that a gap exists betweensuccessive modules 12. A suitable signal is generated to speed up theupstream conveyor and thereby close up any gap. It will be appreciatedthat the conveyor 16′″ is typically run at rather slow speeds because ofthe time involved for the disperser 18 to digest the modules 12 so it isrelatively easy for the conveyors 16′, 16″ to close up any gap betweensuccessive modules 12 as they move onto the conveyor 16′″.

Carried on the arms 102, 104 are a series of powered rollers 122, 124.As shown best in FIG. 15, the rollers include an outer cylindricalsurface 126 for contacting the cylindrical module 12. At least some ofthe rollers 122, 124 having a roughener 128 to increase the frictionbetween the surface 126 and the plastic wrapping 14 of the module 12.The roughener 128 comprises extensions projecting out of the cylindricalsurface 126 of any suitable shape. Preferably, the extensions comprisemetal components welded or otherwise affixed to the surface 126 andpreferably comprises a series of elongate rods 130 spaced about theperiphery of the cylindrical surface 126. It will be apparent that theroughener 128 may be any suitable projection from the cylindricalsurface 126 that does not tear the plastic wrap 14.

An important feature of the rollers 122, 124 is that the hydraulicmotors 132 rotating the rollers 122, 124 are located inside thecylindrical surface 126 so that the motors 132 do not provide abutmentsfor cotton to impact or snag on and allow the rollers 122, 124 to belong relative to the length of the modules 12. For example, if themotors 132 were mounted externally, the rollers 122, 124 would have tobe shorter because the motors would contact the upstream and/ordownstream modules 12 on the conveyor 16′″. FIG. 15 is a view of one endof the roller 122 with an end cap 134 removed to expose the motor 132.It will be apparent that suitable hydraulic fittings (not shown) extendthrough the end cap 134 delivering hydraulic fluid to the motor 132. Asthe arms 102, 104 move toward the position of FIG. 14, the rollers 122engage the plastic wrap 14 of the module 12. Another important featureof this invention is the ability to rotate the module 12 without tearingthe plastic wrap 14. To this end, the motors 132 are driven at a speedso there is no relative movement between the periphery of the roller 122and the plastic wrap 14 as the arms 102, 104 converge. In other words,the rollers 122, 124 roll on the plastic wrap 14 but do not sliprelative to the plastic wrap 14. This is accomplished by a control unitthat controls the amount of hydraulic fluid delivered to the motors 108,116 and to the motors driving the rollers 122, 124. It will be apparentthat during this motion of the arms 102, 104, the rollers 122 areturning in opposite directions as suggested by the arrows 136.

As the arms 102, 104 converge to the position shown in FIG. 14, theoutermost ends of the arms move under the module 12 and raise the module12 off the conveyor 16′″ so that one or more operations may be conductedon the module 12. For most of these operations, it is necessary ordesirable to rotate the module 12 about its axis 24 shown in FIG. 1. Tothis end, the rollers 122 rotate in the same direction, therebyimparting an opposite direction of rotation to the module 12. Therollers 122 will be seen to be a system for rotating the modules 12 aswell as part of the system for raising the module 12 off the underlyingconveyor 16′″.

There are two potential ways to remove the plastic wrap 14. First, thewrap 14 may simply be unwrapped, making as many revolutions of themodule 12 as is necessary. Second, the wrap 14 may be slit and thenunwrapped, meaning that only one revolution or less of the module 12 isneeded. Both techniques are within the scope of this invention, althoughit is preferred to slit and then unwrap the module for a variety ofreasons. First, a single layer of the plastic wrap 14 is relatively weakand prone to tear thereby creating the potential of allowing plastic toenter the gin. Second, it is sometimes difficult to start the unwrappingprocess because the outer end of the wrap 14 is intentionally wellbonded to the next lower layer. Third, because of the weakness of theplastic wrap 14, rotating the module 12 becomes less reliable when onlyone or two layers remain. Even though slitting the plastic wrap 14requires an additional subsystem, it is currently the preferredtechnique.

To prevent plastic from entering the gin and to thereby successfullyslit the plastic wrap 14, it is necessary to locate the tail 22 so anycut is well away from the tail. Although there are many different waysto do so, one way to start is by locating the outside edge 138 of thewrap 14 shown in FIGS. 2-3. This is conveniently done by locating adevice 140 placed on the wrap 14 at the time the module 12 is made. Thedevice 140 is consistently positioned on one end of the module 12 as itis being wrapped, as by a suitable device in the module builder. Thedevice 140 may be of many different types, e.g. a strip detectable by amagnetic reader, a bar code label, an RFID tag or the like. In the eventan RFID tag is used, it may be encoded with suitable information such asthe name of the farmer, the field location, the cotton variety, wherethe module is located in the field or in the gin yard and the like.

The device 140 may be located simply by placing two detectors 142 (FIG.17) on opposite ends of a suitable member, such as a slitter 144 used tocut the plastic wrap 14 as discussed more fully hereinafter. As themodule 12 is rotated, one or the other of the detectors 142 indicate thepresence of the device 140 and the other detector 142 will indicate theabsence of the device 140. By determining which end the device 140 ison, one will know whether the module 12 is positioned as in FIG. 2 or asin FIG. 3 and thereby know which direction the wrap 12 is wound.

One convenient way to determine the location of the tail 22 is to takeadvantage of the fact that the current version of module buildersemploys plastic sheets of a predetermined length. There is considerablevariation in the diameter of modules from the current version of modulebuilders but, by determining the diameter, the location of the tail 22becomes known when one also knows the location of the device 140. Thediameter of the module 12 can be determined in a variety of ways. It canbe done directly by a distance measuring device, such as a laser devicemade by Power Systems of Florida of Titusville, Fla. mounted on thegantry 84 and looking downward at the module. The diameter can also bedetermined by rotating the module 12 at a known speed, as by driving therollers 122 at a known speed, and measuring the time it takes for thedevice 140 to twice pass the detector 142. Knowing the location of theedge 138 because the device 140 is adjacent the edge 138 and thediameter of a particular module 12 allows the rotation to be stopped ata location where the tail 22 is far removed from the slitter 144 shownin FIGS. 17-18. It will accordingly be seen that the detector 142cooperates with a control unit 146 which monitors and controls otherfunctions of the plastic removing device 20, such as the hydraulicsystem driving the motors 132, to provide a system for locating the tail22.

The control unit 146 also controls rotation of the rollers 122 so that,after the location of the tail 22 is determined, the module 12 isrotated a substantial distance to position the tail 22 far from theslitter 144. Typically, the module 12 is rotated so the tail 22 is 180°from the slitter 144 or so that the tail 22 is at the bottom of themodule 12 adjacent the conveyor 16′″. If an RFID tag is used as thedevice 140, this is best accomplished by rotating the bale 12 until theRFID tag 140 is sensed twice by the detectors 142. The bale 12 is thenrotated an additional one half revolution. This method does not requireknowing which direction the bale 12 is wrapped.

The cover 14 may be cut in a variety of ways, such as with a mechanicalslitter as disclosed hereinafter, or with other suitable cuttingequipment, such as an abrasive jet, a water jet or the like. The slitter144 cuts the plastic wrap 14 in a linear fashion and in a directionparallel to the module axis 24 and the direction of movement 26 and isaccordingly located between the arms 102, 104 at a location 148 (FIG.13) and is mounted for movement toward and away from the module 12. Tothis end, the slitter 144 comprises a frame 150 supported by arms 152 ofa movable subframe 154 carried by the gantry 84. One or more hydrauliccylinders 156 slide the subframe 154 up and down relative to the columns94 thereby raising and lowering the slitter 144.

The slitter 144 includes two or more cutting devices 158 comprising ahub 160 driving a rotary knife 162 such as a sharp unserrated wheelwhich cleanly slits the plastic cover 14 without snagging cotton fibers.As shown best in FIGS. 19-20, each hub 160 is mounted on a subframe 164pivoted by a pin 166 to a member 168. The arc of pivotal movement of thesubframe 164 is constrained for purposes more fully apparenthereinafter. The rotary knives 162 are driven in any suitable fashion,as by a chain drive 170 shown in FIG. 20. A motor (not shown), on themember 168 drives a sprocket 172 which drives shafts 174 on which theknives 162 are mounted. The hubs 160 act as large rollers to engage thecylindrical module 12 and thereby position the cutting edge of theknives 162 at an appropriate distance from the plastic cover 14 to becut. It is desirable that the cut be through the plastic cover 14 butnot substantially into cotton inside the modules 12. It will be seenthat the knives 162 are separately pivotally mounted so one knife can besubstantially below the other in order to accommodate a module which istapered rather than more-or-less cylindrical.

Because space is at a premium between the arms 102, 104, it is desirableto move the knives 162 as little as practical in the direction ofconveyor movement 26 which corresponds to the direction of movement ofthe modules 12 through the module feeder 10. For this reason, more thanone cutting element is provided, meaning that the amount of linearmovement of the member 168 is reduced. The member 168 may be moved inany suitable manner relative to the frame 150. A convenient techniquefor moving the member 168 is to provide a rack 176 on the member 168 anda motor (not shown) having a sprocket (not shown) on the frame 150 sothat rotation of the motor causes the member 168 to move in thedirection 26 and thereby advance one of the knives 162 from one end toabout the middle of each module 12 while the other knife moves fromabout the middle of each module 12 to the other end, thereby slittingthe cover 14 from end to end. Any suitable technique may be used to stopmovement of the member 168, such as a limit switch or photoelectric eye.

After the cover 14 is slit, it is necessary to remove the cover from thefibrous material inside the module. To this end, the cover puller 90 isprovided. Broadly, there are at least two operating concepts for apuller: (1) a prong type puller that has elements that attempt topenetrate the cover in order to gain traction and (2) a friction basedpuller that relies only on friction surfaces to gain traction. Afriction type puller is disclosed in connection with FIGS. 39-42.Although several versions of a prong type cover puller are disclosed, itwill be apparent that they have certain common characteristics: (1) theyhave some way of applying the prongs to the cover 14, (2) they have someway to pull on the cover 14 after it is grasped, (3) they have some wayto move the cover 14 as it is unwinding or after it is unwound to adisposal location and (4) they have some way of retracting the prongsand thereby releasing the grasp on the cover 14. For purposes ofeconomy, the cover puller 90 may be suspended on the same subframe 154as the slitter 144 and thus move up and down with the slitter 144. Froman optimum operational standpoint, it is preferred to mount the coverpuller 90 on a separate subframe (not shown) on the opposite side of thegantry 84 so the slitter 144 and the cover puller 90 may be operatedindependently.

To these ends, the cover puller 90 may come in several versions. Shownin FIGS. 17-18 is a modified windrowing device made by SundManufacturing of Newburg, N.Dak. The cover puller 90 accordinglyprovides a series of fingers 178 mounted in rows. A mechanism 180 movesthe rows of fingers 178 in the direction shown by the arrows 182 so theygrasp a free end of the slit cover and pull it over the top of thepuller 90. As each row of fingers 178 nears the end of the puller 90,they retract, leaving the cover 14 free to be picked up by an outfeedconveyor 184 and moved to a disposal location to one side of the frame84. It will accordingly be seen that the cover puller 90 is driven atthe same time the module 12 is rotated so the wrap 14 is pulled off themodule 12 as it is rotated.

Referring to FIGS. 21-25, another cover puller 186 is illustratedcomprising a basket or funnel shaped frame 188 having upper and lowerrims 190, 192. The position of the slitter 144 and the cover puller 186relative to a module 12 and the direction of movement 26 is shown inFIG. 21. A plurality of spikes or sharpened fingers 194 extend from thebottom of the lower rim 192 and act to pierce the cover 14 when thepuller 186 is forced into the module 12. Inside the lower rim are aplurality of normally retracted slats 196 pivotally mounted on an innerhub 198. At the outset of rotation of the funnel frame 188, the slats196 are advanced by rotation of the inner hub 198 through a limited arcas suggested by the arrow 200. The cover puller 186 is mounted on asubframe 202 similar to the subframe 154 in FIG. 17 and is raised andlowered by the provision of hydraulic cylinders operating on the sleeves204. When the funnel frame 188 is forced into the module 12, the fingers194 pierce the cover 14 and the inner hub 198 is drivably rotated toadvance the slats 196. Drivably rotating the funnel frame 188 whilerotating the module 12 causes the cover 14 to unwind from the module 12and wrap around the funnel 188. After the cover 14 is removed from themodule 12, the puller 186 is raised, away from the module 12, and movedto a disposal location adjacent a side of the frame 84. The slats 196are then retracted by rotating the inner hub 198 in a direction oppositeto the arrow 200. The cover 14 then falls off the funnel 188 into adisposal area.

Referring to FIGS. 26-31, there is illustrated another cover puller 206of this invention comprising, as major components, a frame 208, a pairof drums 210, 212 driven in counterrotating directions and a drivenoutfeed conveyor 214. The frame 208 is raised and lowered much like theframe 202 of the cover puller 186 in FIG. 21. The drums 210, 212 includean outer cylinder 216, 218 having a series of openings 220, 222 thereinthrough which spikes or rods 224, 226 extend. FIG. 29 is an isometricview of the drum 210, it being understood that the drum 212 isessentially identical. The rods 224 of the drum 210 are mounted on acrankshaft 228 having an axis 230 offset from an axis of rotation 232 ofthe cylinder 216, meaning that the rods 224 move in and out, relative tothe exterior of the cylinder 216, as the cylinder 216 rotates. Thecrankshaft 228 is adjustably mounted inside the cylinder 216 so theamount of in and out movement is adjusted. The drums 210, 212 areadjustably mounted on the frame 208 so the arcuate location of themaximum extension of the rods 224, 226 can be rotationally adjusted,horizontally adjusted and vertically adjusted. As seen best in FIGS. 26and 31, the upper drum 212 is forward of the lower drum 210 so the slitcover 14 can be removed from the top of the module 12 in a manner thatthe free end 234 of the cover 14 passes, in a more-or-less straighthorizontal path into the bight between the drums 210, 212. Those skilledin the art will recognize the drums 210, 212 as being front beaterspikes in the auger of a combine.

It will be realized that the width of the cover 14 being pulled throughthe puller 206 is greater than the width of the drums 210, 212 becausethe cover puller 206 has to reside between the arms 102, 104 which areslightly less than the length of the module 12. Thus, some provisionneeds to be made to reduce the width of the cover 14. To this end, apair of rollers 236 force the cover 14 into the opening between thedrums 210, 212 as the cover 14 is being pulled into puller 206. Afterthe cover 14 has been pulled from the module 12, the outfeed conveyor214 delivers it to a disposal location, such as a large trash container.It will accordingly be apparent that the outfeed conveyor 214 may be ofany suitable type.

Referring to FIGS. 32-34, another feature of this invention isillustrated. After the cover 14 has been slit and removed from themodule 12, there is nothing to prevent cotton or other material insidethe module from sloughing off and falling outside the frame 84 so that aworker has to continually shovel or otherwise encourage this material topass into the inlet of the disperser 18. To minimize this problem, apair of mirror image doors 238, 240 are provided that act in conjunctionwith a stationary transition panel 242 bolted to the frame of thedisperser housing 78. The transition panel 242 simply prevents cottonfrom passing on the outside of the disperser housing 78. Each of thedoors 238, 240 comprises a lower panel 244 and an upper panel 246. Thelower panels 244 are pivoted to plates 250 secured to the floor of thegin forward of the disperser 18. The upper panel 246 is pivotallyconnected by a suitable connection 252 to the lower panel 244.

A hydraulic cylinder 254 is pivotally mounted on a stand 256 andpivotally connects to the lower panel 244 for pushing the lower panel244 from an outwardly inclined position to a more nearly verticalposition as shown in dashed lines in FIG. 34. The upper panel 246reclines against a pad 258 supported by a column 260 which is preferablyvertically adjustable. When the cylinder 254 pushes the lower panel 244toward its more vertical position, the upper panel 246 simply slides onthe pad 258 and assumes a more inclined position shown in dashed linesin FIG. 34. The ends of the panels 244, 246 are curved and slidably abutthe stationary panel 242 during movement between the solid and dashedline positions shown in FIG. 34.

Operation of the doors 238, 240 should now be apparent. As suggestedfrom FIGS. 12-14, it will be seen that the arms 102, 104 move toward andaway from the gantry 84 creating clearance problems between the arms102, 104, the gantry 84 and the doors 238, 240. In order to accommodatemovement of the arms 102, 104, the doors 238, 240 are moved to the solidline position of FIG. 34 where the doors 238, 240 are concave towardeach other providing greater clearance at times when the arms 102, 104are moving or when the arms 102, 104 are encircling a module 12 at atime when the gantry 84 is adjacent the disperser housing 78. It will beappreciated that FIG. 12 illustrates a situation where the gantry 84 hasbeen moved away from the disperser 18 in order to pick up the module 12.At such times, the gantry 84 is at the position shown in FIG. 1 wherethe gantry 84 is spaced from the doors 238, 240 and there is no dangerof collision between the arms 102, 104 and the doors 238, 240.

When the gantry 84 moves toward the disperser 18 with the arms 102, 104down, as shown in FIGS. 13-14, there is a danger of collision, so thecylinder 254 is actuated to move the doors 238, 240 to their concaveposition shown in FIG. 34, thereby allowing the arms 102, 104 to pass.It is desired to move the panels 242 to its more nearly verticalposition when the cover 14 has been removed from the module 12 and thearms 102, 104 have been retracted. This will push any cotton restingagainst the stationary transition panel 242 onto the conveyor 16′″ andthereby into the disperser 18.

As mentioned previously, another feature of this invention is theprovision of a system for discriminating between one module 12 and afollowing or downstream module. This is necessary to actuate the arms102, 104 at an appropriate time so they pick up a module immediatelybelow the device 20, as contrasted to a situation where the arms 102,104 attempt to pick up the rear end of one module and the front end of atrailing module. To this end, a detector 262 is provided as shown inFIG. 34. The sensor 262 may be of any suitable type, such as a laserdistance measuring device from Smith & Gray of Columbus, Ga. Devices ofthis type operate because there is always a very small gap betweenadjacent modules, caused by the module slumping.

Operation of the module feeder 10 of this invention should now beapparent. Referring to FIGS. 1, 12-14 and 34-37, a series of modules, inmore or less abutting relation, pass from the conveyor 16′ onto theconveyor 16″ and then onto the conveyor 16′″. In the event there is asubstantial gap between the module 12 and the following module, the gapis sensed by one of the sensors 120 and the upstream conveyor is speededup thereby closing the gap. With the gantry 84 in its furthermostlocation away from the disperser, i.e. in the position shown in FIG. 34,the sensor 262 discriminates between the module 264 underneath thegantry 84 and the following module 266. The output from the sensor 262is an input detected by the control unit 146 to actuate the cylinders108, 116 to move the arms 102, 104 downwardly to engage and pick themodule 264 up off the conveyor 16′″ as suggested in FIG. 35.

The module 264 is then rotated to detect the direction of wrap of thecover 14 and to determine where the tail 22 is located. The module isthen rotated to position where the tail 22 is away from the slitter 144.The slitter 144 is then lowered so the knives 162 are low enough to cutthe cover 14 and the frame member 168 is moved to draw the knives 162across the module and thereby slit the cover 14 from end to end. Thecover puller is then lowered into contact with the module and the cover14 pulled off as the module 12 is rotated in a desired direction. Itwill be appreciated that it is desirable to pull the cover 14 into thecover puller so that the adhered end of the tail 22 passes first intothe cover puller as suggested in FIG. 31. It will be seen that therollers 122, 124 are capable of rotating the module in either aclockwise or counterclockwise direction. This is particularly importantif it is desired to unwrap the cover 14 from the module 12 rather thanslit it first and then pull the cover 14 off. In addition, the abilityto rotate the modules 12 in both directions gives the option to pull thecover 14 off on either side of the device 20.

While conducting these operations on the module immediately beneath thegantry 84, all of the modules on the conveyor 16 continue to move towardthe disperser 18. In order to keep its place in line, the gantry 84moves toward the disperser 18 at the same speed as the conveyor 16′″ ascontrolled by the cylinders 92. It will accordingly be seen that thegaps between the modules 268, 264, 266 do not change substantiallyduring the operation of the module feeder 10. After the cover 14 hasbeen pulled from the module 264, it is discarded by the side of thegantry 84 at a disposal location. In other words, the gantry 84 movestoward the disperser 18 at the same speed, or synchronously, withmovement of the conveyor 16′″. The control unit 146 then instructs thecylinders 108, 116 to move the arms 102, 104 to lower the module 264back onto the conveyor 16′″ as shown in FIG. 36 at a location near theend of the conveyor 16′″.

FIG. 37 represents the situation where the arms 102, 104 have replacedthe module 264 onto the conveyor 16′″ in response to commands from thecontrol unit 146. The next movement of the device 20 is to raise thearms 102, 104 to a position where the gantry 84 can be moved away fromthe disperser 18 by the cylinders 92 and moved upwardly toward theposition shown in FIG. 12, also in response to commands from the controlunit 146. The next movement of the device 20 is to move the gantry 84 tothe position shown in FIG. 31 where the cycle starts again.

Referring to FIGS. 39-42, there is illustrated another embodiment of acover puller 270. Although the schematic view of FIG. 39 illustrates asituation where the cover 14 has been cut, the puller 270 is adept atunwinding the cover 14 as will be apparent hereinafter. The puller 270comprises a frame 272 on which is mounted an upper set of belts 274 anda lower set of belts 276. As shown best in FIGS. 40-41, the belts 274,276 extend from an inlet end 278 of the frame 272 to an outlet end 280so that movement of the cover 14 through the puller 270 is shown by thearrow 282. The belts 274, 276 are mounted on drums 284, 286 driven inany suitable manner.

The belts 274 pass over an intermediate roller 288 and around an endroller 290 and back to the drums 284. The belts 276 pass over anintermediate roller 292 and around an end roller 294 and back to thedrums 286. An important feature of the puller 270 is a series of beaterassemblies 296 located between the drums 284 of the upper belt 272 asshown best in FIG. 42. The beater assemblies 296 include a series offlexible beating elements 298 mounted by a suitable connection (notshown) to a shaft 300 between adjacent drums 284. The elements 298extend beyond the periphery of the drums 284 so they beat on the cover14 as the puller 270 is lowered next to the module 12. The beatingelements 298 act to separate the slit end 302 of the cover 14, or theend of the cover 14 in the event the cover 14 is simply unwound from themodule 12, and deliver the slit end 302 to the bight between the drums284, 286 so that the cover 14 is propelled into engagement between thelower run of the belt 274 and the upper run of the belt 276. The belts274, 276 are accordingly closely spaced and pull the cover 14 in thedirection shown by the arrow 282 during removal. A series of fingers 304supported by a bracket (not shown) may be provided near the outlet end280 of the puller 270 to separate the cover 14 from the upper belt 272,there being the potential for the cover 14 to come up over the top ofthe puller 270.

Referring to FIG. 43, there is illustrated an older type disperser 310known as a traveling head disperser because modules are placed by amodule retriever truck in a line in front of the disperser 310 and thedisperser 310 is moved by suitable means in the direction of the arrow312 to disintegrate modules lined up in front. The disperser 310includes a hood or housing 314 and a series of disperser heads 316.Travelling head disperser 310 is typically mounted on rails 318 securedto a concrete floor for movement toward and away from modules placed infront of the hood opening.

A device 320 of this invention is mounted in front of the disperser 310in some manner so it does not contact the disperser 310, such as byproviding an outer set of rails (not shown) so the device 320 can moveover the top of the disperser 310, or the device 320 is simply mountedin front of the disperser 310 which will effectively reduce the numberof modules that the disperser 310 can digest in one cycle of movement.

The device 320 contains essentially the same components as the device10, i.e. a support 322 such as a gantry, a device 324 for raising andlowering each module 12 in order to remove the cover 14 and a mechanism(not shown) to move the support 322 from one module 12 to the next. Theoperation of the disperser 310 is much like the operation ofconventional travelling head dispersers. The module retriever truckdischarges the cylindrical modules 12 in a line in front of thedisperser 310 with the modules 12 essentially abutting. The device 320moves to each module 12, picks it up, removes the cover 14 and replacesthe module in its place, either at the front or rear of a row of modules12, or in between adjacent modules 12. After the device 320 hasunwrapped the first module adjacent the disperser 310 and moved towardthe second module, the disperser 310 can be moved toward the firstmodule to disintegrate it as the device 320 is working on the secondmodule.

Although this invention has been disclosed and described in itspreferred forms with a certain degree of particularity, it is understoodthat the present disclosure of the preferred forms is only by way ofexample and that numerous changes in the details of operation and in thecombination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed.

1. A module handler equipped to handle rectangular modules andcylindrical modules wrapped with a cover including a conveyor to movethe modules toward a disperser and a device to remove the cover from thecylindrical modules, the device being movable to a position outside thepath of movement of the rectangular modules to allow the rectangularmodules to pass toward the disperser.
 2. The module handler of claim 1wherein the device to remove the cover includes structure to raise acylindrical module off the conveyor, the device being movable to aposition outside the path of movement of the rectangular modules toallow the rectangular modules to pass toward the disperser.
 3. Themodule handler of claim 1 wherein the device to remove the coverincludes a slitter to cut the cover, the slitter being movable to aposition outside the path of movement of the rectangular modules toallow the rectangular modules to pass toward the disperser.
 4. Themodule handler of claim 3 wherein the device to remove the coverincludes a device to pull the cover after it is cut, the device beingmovable to a position outside the path of movement of the rectangularmodules to allow the rectangular modules to pass toward the disperser.5. The module handler of claim 1 wherein the rectangular modules beinglarger than the cylindrical modules, the device being movable laterallyand vertically to a position outside the path of movement of therectangular modules to allow the rectangular modules to pass toward thedisperser.
 6. The module handler of claim 1 wherein the device forremoving the cover includes a mechanism to raise a cylindrical moduleoff the conveyor, the mechanism being movable to a position outside thepath of movement of the rectangular modules to allow the rectangularmodules to pass toward the disperser.
 7. The module handler of claim 6wherein the mechanism comprises a multiplicity of elongate rollerspositioned to abut a round side of the module, a motor to rotate therollers and thereby rotate the module and wherein the rollers are ofgenerally cylindrical shape having a series of protrusions thereonincreasing friction between the rollers and the round side of themodule.
 8. The module handler of claim 6 wherein the mechanism comprisesa multiplicity of elongate rollers positioned to abut a round side ofthe module, a series of arms carrying the rollers, a motor for movingthe arms and for rotating the rollers and a control unit for lifting themodule by forcing the rollers under the module and rotating the rollersat a speed causing only rolling motion between the rollers and themodule.
 9. The module handler of claim 1 wherein the device to removethe cover includes a slitter to cut the cover, the slitter being movableto a position outside the path of movement of the rectangular modules toallow the rectangular modules to pass toward the disperser.
 10. Themodule handler of claim 1 wherein the device to remove the coverincludes a device to pull the cover after it is cut, the device beingmovable to a position outside the path of movement of the rectangularmodules to allow the rectangular modules to pass toward the disperser.11. The module handler of claim 1 further comprising a frame having acolumn on opposite sides of the conveyor and a beam spanning thecolumns, the path of movement extending under the beam and between thecolumns.
 12. The module handler of claim 11 wherein the device to removethe cover includes a mechanism to raise a cylindrical module off theconveyor, the mechanism being movable to a position at least partiallyoutside the path of movement of the rectangular modules in a lateraldirection to allow the rectangular modules to pass toward the disperser.13. A method of operating a module handler to disintegrate round cottonmodules wrapped with a cover and larger rectangular cotton modules, themodule handler being at an inlet of a cotton gin and having a disperserand a conveyor transporting the cotton modules toward the disperser in apath of movement, a device to remove the cover from the cylindricalmodules, the device being movable to a position outside the path ofmovement of the rectangular modules to allow the rectangular modules topass toward the disperser, the method comprising placing a round cottonmodule wrapped with a cover on the conveyor, operating the conveyor andtransporting the round wrapped cotton module to an unwrapping station,removing wrapping from the round cotton module at the unwrappingstation, transporting the round unwrapped module from the unwrappingstation to the disperser, disintegrating the round cotton module in thedisperser and transporting cotton clumps to the gin; moving theunwrapping equipment out of the path of movement of the rectangularmodule; and placing rectangular cotton modules on the conveyor,operating the conveyor and transporting the modules into the disperser,disintegrating the rectangular cotton modules in the disperser andtransporting cotton clumps to the gin.
 14. The method of claim 13wherein the step of moving the unwrapping equipment comprises moving theunwrapping equipment vertically of the path of movement of therectangular module.
 15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step ofmoving the unwrapping equipment comprises moving the unwrappingequipment laterally of the path of movement of the rectangular module.16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of moving the unwrappingequipment comprises moving the unwrapping equipment vertically of thepath of movement of the rectangular module.